Who Is Actually Driving Their Vintage Mopars?

[knuckleharley]

Ok,this one used to be my semi-daily driver until it backfired and caught fire under the hood. Luckily for me I make it a practice to carry a fire extinguisher with me,and while the fire melted the AFB carb and burned all the wires under the hood,the car didn't burn.

 

The car was a slopped together piece of crap when I bought it,and the engine fire was the straw that broke my back on it.  It has a Camaro frame clip,tired 305,and junk Turbo 250 trans that didn't start slipping until after I got it home. The frame clip was done right,but basically just tacked together. Had to put finish weld it and add a couple of re-inforcement plates. Plus the engine only had one motor mount bolted to the clip,and the trans was just sitting on two "L" shaped brackets tacked to the chassis. When I went to see why the speedo didn't work,I discovered it had never been installed in the transmission. The trans was "kept from leaking" by tan tape like painted use on chrome that was wrapped around the tailshaft several times. So I had to drill holes and bolt the tailshaft to the trans mount. Once I plugged the speedo cable in,the trans quit leaking,but it was too  late. The patient was dying

 

The wiring "harness" had red and black wires,and if there were any fuses in it,I didn't find them.

 

I was hoping to get by while I gathered the parts for a rebuild,but no such luck. The fire was the last straw. I decided I wasn't going to touch it again until I have everthing in my possession I needed to put it back  together to suit me,done right and trouble-free.  The two photos are how the car looked when I bought it. It's going to have the same color paint and style when I put it back on the road. The tired 305 and junk Turbo 350 are getting replaced with a blueprinted 412 small block assembled by a NASCAR speed shop that has Keith Black flat top 10 to 1 pistons,gapless rings,hot cam,roller rockers,and 202 stainless valves in ported cast iron hi-po GM heads,and roller rockers. Also has 350 Chevy rods for a little more torque. Has a Holley 750 on it now with a medium rise Weiand intake. Also has a Pete Jackson gear drive.

 

The trans is a modified Turbo 400 with a 2,000 stall torque converter and manual shift valve body. I used to have this combo in my 1-ton extended GM window van that I used to pull trailers,and it would almost scare me in that rig when I punched it,so it should do fine in the little P-15. I had it built to put in a 39 Ford,but the engine in my old van took a dump,so that's where it went.

 

The third photo is of a digital instrument cluster make to fit inside the stock P-15 instrument housing. I had it custom built to my specifications  I also have a new Ron Francis wiring harness for it,and all the chrome has now been done and is wrapped in paper. AFAIK,I think I now have everything I need to blow it apart and start on the body work,paint,wiring,etc,etc,etc. Everything but the time,that is.

 

Had a local scrapper come by right after the fire when it still looked as good as it does in the photos,and the license plates were even still good,and he offered to haul it off to the crusher for me,"And I won't even charge you anything!" I rejected  his kind offer.

 

This one is a keeper that won't get sold as long as I am able to drive.

 

 

 

Edited July 8, 2018 by knuckleharley

[DrDoctor]

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Edited September 25, 2018 by DrDoctor

[knuckleharley]

26 minutes ago, DrDoctor said:

Knuckleharley,

 

   I LOVE that car!!!!!! It reminds me of that I almost got back in 1967—a ’46 Ford Club Coupe with a 283” Chevy, Lincoln-Zephyr gears in a Ford truck transmission case (with the top-shifter), a Columbia 2-speed rear end, chrome wheels, black tuck-and-roll interior, and basically the same color. I had a deal with the guy who owned it to pay him $210 on Saturday at 10am, but he sold it the evening before then to some stranger who offered him $250. Had I gotten that car, I’d most likely still have it, but life pays tricks on you . . . Needless to say, he and I never spoke to one another since then.

 

Thanks,I love it,too. Mostly because of the way it looks,which is basically the way it looked when it left the factory.

 

If it ain't broke,don't fix it.

[JOHN EDGE]

On the road last month during the hot rod power tour 2500 miles 

[mmcdowel]

I try to drive my 50 Meadowbrook about once a week....all original and just turned over 80,000.  Its particularly fun in the fall and winter....our winters are dry and mild in Oklahoma so I get in lots more miles than I do during the hot months.  What is it in that interior that makes it smell so darn good (to me at least)?  Fortunately it had been kept inside so my work on it has all been maintenance (fuel pump, carb, brakes, hoses, water pump).  She likes to go 50, so thats what we do on our trips out.   

[knuckleharley]

"What is it in that interior that makes it smell so darn good (to me at least)?  "

 

It's called "memories",and you can't buy them anywhere.

 

You CAN relive them however,by getting in your old car on a warm summer day after the windows have been rolled up,close your eyes,and take a deep breath.

 

It just doesn't get any gooder than that,and it doesn't cost a dime. It's a part of the package.

[Reg Evans]

1 hour ago, knuckleharley said:

"What is it in that interior that makes it smell so darn good (to me at least)?  "

 

It's called "memories",and you can't buy them anywhere.

 

You CAN relive them however,by getting in your old car on a warm summer day after the windows have been rolled up,close your eyes,and take a deep breath.

 

It just doesn't get any gooder than that,and it doesn't cost a dime. It's a part of the package.

 

Do not try this with a car that has served as a rodent hotel. ?

[knuckleharley]

1 hour ago, Reg Evans said:

 

Do not try this with a car that has served as a rodent hotel. ?

True dat. You will still get a odor that will bring back memories,but not good ones.

[mattimuss]

I try to get the '41 out at least once a week, not always achievable, but I try my best!

 

If there are any members in the San Diego area feel free to contact me, I would love to meet you!

[knuckleharley]

29 minutes ago, mattimuss said:

I try to get the '41 out at least once a week, not always achievable, but I try my best!

 

If there are any members in the San Diego area feel free to contact me, I would love to meet you!

Very nice Plymouth. Are those running boards peeking out below the door? Are they wide enough to be functional?

[mattimuss]

No, not running boards.  Someone, I think either Don Coatney or pflaming, told me that they are optional running board delete pieces.  I think of them more as "scuff guards" as that seems to be their function.

 

I need to fabricate replacements for the black, rubberized plates as they are pretty rusty.  I also need to either find replacements for the rear fender chip guards, or fabricate new ones as they are also in bad shape.  Does anyone know if replacements are available?

[1940 Dodge VC]

Here is my daily driver: a 1940 Dodge VC pickup. It sports a 201 ci engine, disc brakes and an overdrive, among other things. Most recently I used it to haul scrap metal to recycling and sheet rock for construction work. With the overdrive, I can do 70 on the highway, though I usually hold it between 60-65. Yes, the 201 is wimpy and maybe someday I'll swap it for a 230--if I run into a bargain. Today I worked on the headlight circuit and fuel gauge, both of which got neglected when I upgraded the wiring. It is a blast to drive, and I never cease to be amazed at the positive attention it attracts.

 

[greg g]

Put about 600 miles in the last three weeks, getting ready for our trip to the Detroit area. Been hot to put driving without AC a chore.  Gotta get some tires mounted up before hand.  

[pflaming]

I use mine a lot, like yesterday.

[John Norlien]

Where i am, there is a Friday night cruise night in North St Paul.  Love to go and see who brought what.

So I am there most Fridays with the 54 Plymouth.

[oldodge41]

Almost 250 miles today. Drove to the New York state border and back. Why? Because it was there. Lunch in Bradford, PA. Pic in restaurant parking lot.

[thebeebe5]

Thankfully i can now say I’m driving my vintage Mopar.  One year of Saturdays rebuilding everything from the radiator to the differential and she’s roadworthy once again. Smooth as silk in fact....

[knuckleharley]

40 minutes ago, oldodge41 said:

Almost 250 miles today. Drove to the New York state border and back. Why? Because it was there. Lunch in Bradford, PA. Pic in restaurant parking lot.

I'm betting you had more than a few people speed up or slow down to take a good look at that slick black beauty.

[hkestes41]

Made it back home today after putting almost 800 miles on the 37 since Thursday morning for the HAMB Drags. 

 

I left the Joplin area at about 7:00 this morning and wish I had left about 5:00 because I got hammered with rain from about Vinita, OK to Muskogee (about 70 mile stretch). With only the one tiny windshield wiper I was doing about 40 at times. I have driven it in the rain before, but nothing like this morning. Found that I am in desperate need of a new seal for the windshield. 

[49D-24BusCpe]

   

                   I had the 'Big Ass Dodge' out yesterday for our annual "Woodward Avenue Cruise"!

 

 

[Young Ed]

On 7/20/2018 at 6:50 AM, John Norlien said:

Where i am, there is a Friday night cruise night in North St Paul.  Love to go and see who brought what.

So I am there most Fridays with the 54 Plymouth.

is your 54 light green or maybe blue? I saw a 54 pulling in last friday as we were driving away

[51PlymouthFastback]

I drive my 51 Plymouth Concord at least once a week. Sometimes more, depending on what's going on.

[austinsailor]

More pictures of the 24 DB driving around Arches National Park, Utah.

Edited August 20, 2018 by austinsailor

[leadheavy52]

59 minutes ago, austinsailor said:

More pictures of the 24 DB driving around Arches National Park, Utah.

Man, that is a sweet car! I am digging those solid wheels too! I bet that's a head turner for sure.

 

[Dodgeb4ya]

It was a nice sunny day today... took my pick up for a drive in the warming sun......

Spring is around the corner!

Edited January 27, 2019 by Dodgeb4ya